Often hates variations in temperature or texture; hates taking a bath; washing and combing hair may seem “painful”; often refuses to wear a coat when it is cold outside or overdresses when it is warm outside

Often a child with SPD is seen as having significant behavior problems, low self-esteem, trouble concentrating, trouble making friends, having frequent tantrums, and./or having learning problems. Frequently these same children are labeled as being “aggressive”, “withdrawn”, “clumsy/awkward” or another negative label when SPD is not correctly diagnosed; and often symptoms of SPD overlap with symptoms of other diagnoses such as ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and fragile X.

OT helps children with SPD develop the ability to understand how their body perceives different sensations so that they can better organize their sensory systems to be receptive to these stimuli and allow for new skills to be learned more easily. OT is conducted in a sensory rich environment (including opportunities for swinging, spinning, oral-motor activities, tactile activities, visual and auditory activities). The goal of OT for a child with SPD is to help that child manage their responses to sensations in order to behave in a more appropriate and functional manner and to enable him/her to better participate in “normal” activities of childhood and daily life.

Parents should be encouraged to participate in their child’s OT plan of treatment by communicating with their child’s Occupational Therapist often regarding their family’s priorities for treatment and what they can do at home and at school to help their child become more “regulated” and coordinated, as well as ways to advocate for their child’s unique needs.